


The Dating Game

by QueenDollopHead



Series: Zukka Week 2021 [4]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is a cinnamon roll, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bets & Wagers, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Only in the reverse, Reading this might just make you dumber, Secret Relationship, Texting, Zukka Week 2021, but you will have fun, oblivious idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-26 05:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30100836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenDollopHead/pseuds/QueenDollopHead
Summary: Zukka WeekDay 4:Southern Water Tribe///Secretly DatingSokka and Zuko are basically dating and everyone knows that except for them. The rest of the Gaang make a bet to see when they'll figure it out.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zukka Week 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2209653
Comments: 48
Kudos: 257





	The Dating Game

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [agni_kai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agni_kai) and [snymph12](https://archiveofourown.org/users/snymph12/pseuds/snymph12) for beta-ing the fic _and_ the text messages. Not all heroes wear capes but you two should.
> 
> This started as me misunderstanding the prompt– and now here were are. Actual fic length 7k with text messages. All images have ID 😊 because the texts are essential to the plot ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

Katara’s getting ready for lunch with Aang when her phone buzzes.

Whenever Toph starts a new group chat, nearly nothing good can come from it. 

Katara sighs. These idiots are going to be the death of her.

In the end, only Katara and her dad end up betting that Zuko will figure it out first. Everyone has to chip in two extra bucks to the winner if they also predicted the correct idiot. Katara feels weird adding Iroh as a contact, but strange is becoming more and more normal each day.

With Bato, Mai, Ty Lee, and even Azula joining in on the action, the winner stands to win a maximum grand total of $153.

(Toph insists that it’s $170 because she refuses to subtract the buy-in).

Later that night, Sokka comes home grinning like an idiot.

Perhaps she underestimated him.

“Having a good weekend so far?” she asks him from the couch.

“Katara!” he cheers, bouncing over to her. He pulls her in, kisses her hair before she can comment that he reeks.

Which he doesn’t.

But he _should,_ because he hadn’t been home since he left for work Thursday morning.

He showered at Zuko’s place.

“What are you up to tonight?” he asks her as he ducks into the kitchen.

“Aang’s coming over to watch a movie with us,” Katara calls to him. “You’re welcome to join.”

“Can’t,” Sokka replies, strolling in with the last of the turkey cold cuts. “Going bowling.”

“Bowling.” Katara deadpans.

“With Zuko.”

Katara breathes slowly through her nose; nods. “Have fun,” she says.

“I’ll try,” Sokka laughs. “You know how competitive Zuko gets… and he _sucks_ at bowling.”

 _You would know_. “Yeah… try not to get thrown out.”

“Jet and his crew will be there, too.”

“Ok. Then try not to get _arrested_.”

Sokka salutes her with his non-turkey bearing hand, before turning and bouncing up the steps to his room.

She informs the group chat of this development.

Add Jet, Smellerbee, Longshot, Pipsqueak, and the Duke to the pot. 5 more bets for Sokka. $225 total.

Toph’s flawed math is easier to keep track of.

* * *

The following week, they all make plans to meet up for dinner. Katara watches Toph and Suki closely, as they have the first two dates in their pool.

Sokka and Zuko arrive late. Together.

“What are you getting?” Aang asks as they sit down.

“Just dessert,” Zuko shrugs, leaning back into the booth.

“We just ate,” Sokka explains, though still eyeing the appetizers.

“Go figure,” Suki mumbles. 

Suki winces minutely. An impressive feat considering the whole table shook with how hard Toph kicked her. Sokka looks up, but seems none the wiser. Suki smiles when she clarifies. “You’re _always_ eating.”

“Still pretty rude to show up to dinner plans having already eaten,” Toph says.

“Sorry,” Zuko says earnestly.

“Okay, but that Thai place in the mall is just _too good_ to pass up!” Sokka says.

Katara resists the urge to sigh. “You guys left for the mall, at like, 10am.”

“Yup!” Sokka chirps. “But the rock-climbing place closes at two on Sundays, so we went there first.”

“That sounds like a _terrible_ business model,” Aang says.

“Wow, you’re literally _never_ going to be able to afford to move out,” Katara says. “Shopping? Rock climbing?”

“Go-Karts,” Zuko adds.

_Go-Karts!?_

“Okay, don’t pretend you didn’t love it!” Sokka elbows Zuko. “I saw you smiling.”

“You’ve got no proof,” he returns. “It’s your word against mine.”

Sokka leans in. “Yeah, but I don’t like your odds with _my_ friends.”

“ _Your_ friends?” Zuko laughs. “They’re my friends too, asswipe.”

“Jerkwad.”

“Dickweed.”

Several phones buzz at the same time. Sokka and Zuko look up– no one reaches for their phone.

Katara sees Aang from the corner of her eye, frozen, staring at his phone screen resolutely. His jaw is clenched.

She loves him, she _really_ does, but what. the. fuck. Texting the group chat while the six of them are together? Come on.

Suki checks hers first after a beat. “Calendar reminder,” she says with a shrug. “I’m FaceTime-ing with a friend this time tomorrow.”

It’s almost smooth, except for the obvious fact that Katara and Toph also got a text.

They don’t push it.

Zuko reaches for his soda, sips, then pulls a face. “Does this soda taste flat to you?” He asks Sokka.

Sokka leans over, closes his mouth around Zuko’s straw. He hums thoughtfully as he pulls away.

Unbelievable.

“Hm… I think so,” Sokka agrees, leaning back into his own seat once again. “You should send it back.”

Zuko waves off the idea. “I’ll just get water,” he says. “Do you know how hard it is to change out the soda-packs in the back?”

“So?” Sokka asks. “You’re the _customer_ now, you deserve to _like_ the drink you’re paying for.”

“Well if _that’s_ the case, then _you_ should have paid for my bubble tea earlier since you’re the one that ended up finishing it.”

“Touché,” Sokka grins. “But seriously– if you don’t like it, send it back, get something else.”

“Sokka, really, it’s fine.”

“I got you buddy,” Sokka says, patting his hand. Before Zuko can protest again, Sokka has their waiter over at their table and is explaining that his friend’s sprite is flat.

“Poor guy,” Zuko sighs. “Worst side work _ever_.”

Katara isn’t able to check her text message until later, when Sokka stands up to let Zuko out of their corner booth to go to the bathroom.

Toph scoffs when Suki quickly whispers it to her. Sokka doesn’t catch this either.

When they part for the evening, Sokka and Zuko head over to where they parked. Katara had driven the rest of them. 

The boys had barely made it out of earshot before Toph practically shouts. “I mean _seriously_ , it’s not even PDA at this point, it’s public foreplay.”

“Gross. That’s my _brother_.”

“Yeah,” Suki adds. “And he’s got it _bad_.”

“Get in the car,” Katara huffs.

* * *

A few days later, Sokka posts a photo on his Instagram story of Zuko feeding some ducks at the park.

Chan and Ruon-Jian pick the same arbitrary date, April 20th…

…but they split the vote on whether Zuko or Sokka will be the first to realize. It _would_ be cheating, if it also wasn’t exceptionally stupid to bet on the same day as someone else.

Haru and Teo pick Zuko. $289.

* * *

The weekend passes, on Monday they meet up after work for some frozen yogurt.

Sokka has the most expensive one, as always, since he has next to no self-control when it comes. He pays nearly $13 for his monstrosity of mixed flavors and excessive toppings.

Aang’s is second at $9.

Which is _significantly_ less than Sokka’s, but the rest of them paid less than five.

“Zuko, you _have_ to try this!”

Suki snickers, having absolutely called something like this when the two of them first walked into the shop together.

“Sokka, that’s disgusting,” Zuko says, eyeing Sokka’s cup. “You’re gonna make yourself sick.”

“Come on, you never made Oreo dirt cups as a kid?” Sokka asks. “Little gummy worms peeking out?”

“Not on top of cake batter _and_ strawberry frozen yogurt.” He sneers.

“The blend is called, ‘Strawberry Shortcake’.”

“I know,” Zuko says. “You’ve been calling it that since you ‘ _invented_ ’ it last month.”

“Still can’t believe they won’t add it as its own mix.”

“Because it’s _gross_.”

“Because they’re _intimidated_ by my genius! They’re worried they’ll have to pay me a commission on their sales.”

“You have literally _the worst_ taste, I can’t–”

Sokka pinches him, then shoves a spoonful of ‘Strawberry Shortcake’ into his mouth when Zuko gasps. Mercifully, Sokka didn’t include the Oreo crumbs on gummy worms on this spoonful. Zuko is frozen when Sokka tugs the spoon, now mostly cleaned, from his lips.

“Good?” Sokka asks, smirking. He maintains very pointed eye contact as he dips back into his concoction again.

Zuko swallows, rather late, then scowls. “Too sweet.”

“ _Buuuuut?_ ”

“Not the _worst_ thing you’ve had me try.”

Suki splutters, choking on her own dessert. Toph thumps her back twice.

Zuko looks at them, and if the flush on his cheeks is anything to go by, suddenly realizes they’re in public.

“This is getting out of hand,” Katara whispers to Aang.

“Any chance _they’re_ the ones trying to see when _we’ll_ figure it out?”

Katara shakes her head. “Sokka’s a terrible liar, he would have outed himself by now.”

Aang sighs. “I’m starting to think _you_ might win,” he says. It’s one of the few times she’s seen her boyfriend’s optimism waver.

These two are hopeless.

* * *

Song, Jin, and Yue. $340. Two more for Sokka, one for Zuko.

They have to close the buy-ins on Wednesday, because her dad, Suki and Toph have bets closing. It wouldn’t be fair to let people join after some people have already lost.

* * *

That weekend, Katara comes downstairs late at night to brew herself a cup of tea. She sees the two of them together, passed out on the couch.

Sokka is manspreading, his head tipped back, catching flies with his arm over the back of the sofa. The remote control is on the floor where it must have fallen from his grasp when sleep took him.

Zuko is laid out next to him, his cheek on Sokka’s thigh. He’s facing away from the TV, but even from behind, in the low light of the TV, she can tell that he’s wearing Sokka’s favorite sweatshirt– the one he got when playing for the club rugby team in college.

She snaps a pic for the group chat.

* * *

By Monday, Suki and her dad are out of the running, with Toph’s chance of success dwindling.

Even as Sokka literally drives over to Zuko’s office for his lunch break, buys his favorite snacks for when he stays over, and mentions planning a road-trip with him, they still act as if they’re simply ‘super close bros’.

Toph seems surprisingly okay with the prospect of losing, but only because it simply proves to her how stupid _they_ are, and not the other way around.

* * *

Sokka and Zuko go to a concert together.

Her brother sends them all a selfie where Sokka is _clearly_ sitting on Zuko’s shoulders.

Toph, Ty Lee, Song, and Bato are out.

The only person who picked a date later than Katara was Azula. The group consensus is that _she_ will win.

* * *

Their road trip lasts three days. Sokka and Zuko evidently share a tent, both of them declining to rent a room somewhere. Sokka packed two air mattresses, but Katara can’t be sure that both were used.

It’s hard to believe it’s been a month, but Aang, as well as Teo, Longshot, and Smellerbee are out.

* * *

Tuesday was especially terrifying. It was the night of Chan and Ruon-Jian’s guess, and Sokka and Zuko were out nearly all night for Taco Tuesday. Katara found herself staying up to see if, when Zuko dropped him off, Sokka would give him a peck on the cheek or something else dumb and cheesy and couply.

There was some weird eye contact, a very awkward hug, but Zuko didn’t turn around to see if Sokka got in the house okay when he walked back to his car.

The clock struck midnight, and Katara went to bed safe in the knowledge that, at the very _least_ , Zuko’s jock-brained co-workers didn’t win her money.

Mai had lost a few days prior, leaving only seven of them left in the running. Iroh, Yue, Jet, Haru, Jin, Azula, and Katara.

* * *

The following weekend is highly unusual, in that Sokka slept in his own bed each night without Zuko staying over as well.

Katara was wondering if they had a fight.

But then at dinner Sokka mentions that he’s getting drinks with Teo and Haru later, and that Zuko has plans with Azula.

He comes home at 2am, a ridiculous, giggly drunk. He wakes her up when he bashes his hip against the wall rounding the stairs.

Irritated and fully awake, she chooses to scroll through her phone a bit until she starts to feel tired enough to fall asleep again.

Eventually, the loud goings-on of Sokka bumping around his room fade. She’s reading a BuzzFeed article when she hears Sokka sniffle… once… twice… followed by a poorly hushed sob.

Quickly, she throws her covers off and slips out of her room, but when she arrives at Sokka’s door and raises her hand to knock, she pauses.

He’s on the phone.

Katara can’t make out who is on the other end, but Sokka slowly starts to calm down.

 _“You’re right– I’m sorry, just–”_ he pauses, laughs around the snot that has surely accumulated. Sokka has always been an ugly crier. “ _Force of habit,”_ he amends. “ _Thank you, for answering. You’re a good friend.”_

Another pause.

“ _Same to you, if you ever want to talk about yours.”_ He says. “ _I know you miss her, too.”_

Suddenly, _Sokka’s_ the one offering comfort. “ _It doesn’t have to be the same for it to hurt,_ ” he says. “ _You’re allowed to miss her, even if she isn’t completely gone._ ”

Katara walks away, assured that Sokka will be okay. This is one conversation she won’t report to group chat, even if she highly suspects that Zuko is on the other line. 

Her suspicions are confirmed the next morning when Zuko arrives at their front door.

“Oh,” Zuko squeaks. “Katara.”

“Morning,” Katara nods, her gaze falling to his hands.

He’s holding three coffees in a cardboard holder, and in his other hand– still outstretched from where he’d knocked, two brown bags.

“The little one is for you,” he says needlessly. “Scooped-out sesame seed bagel with veggie cream cheese. Not toasted.”

Katara smiles. As annoyed as she’d been lately with their little game, she did _truly_ appreciate him. His kindness– his warm, cautious heart.

She supposes her brother could do worse.

“Thanks,” she says. “Sokka should be down in a sec. Come on in.”

She holds the door open for Zuko, and he graciously steps in. He places her coffee on a coaster next to her brown bag on the coffee table, then sits down on the couch as Katara takes up the armchair.

“How’s he doing this morning?”

Katara scoffs. “Grouchy,” she says. “He nearly bit my head off for coming down the stairs too loudly. As if he wasn’t a total nuisance last night.”

This makes Zuko’s eyes widen. “Oh?”

He’s worried that she overheard them. 

“Just coming in so damned loud,” she says with a wave. “Could’ve been worse, I fell asleep pretty soon after he came in.”

Zuko doesn’t catch her lie; he nods.

A few minutes later, the grouch master himself creeps down the stairs, but she catches the exact moment he spies Zuko. His face breaks out into an easy, almost unconscious smile. His shoulders, previously sky-high with anger and irritation, relax. “Hey,” he greets quietly.

Katara turns to Zuko, his expression similarly sappy. “Hey yourself,” he replies. Katara opens her bag noisily, as if to remind them that _she is there, hello_.

Not that she altogether wanted to interrupt the moment, but… to be frank, she wasn’t sure either of them wanted her to see that. Zuko cleared his throat, then, more cheekily. “How’s the hangover?”

“Killer. Is that–”

“Bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant. Yeah.”

“Dude,” Sokka breathes. “You’re a _lifesaver_.”

When Sokka flops down on the couch, the three of them chat as they normally would.

And yet, something is undeniably changing.

Iroh and Yue are out. Five of them are left.

Katara does end up telling Suki about it later when they FaceTime, just in the interest of honesty and _no she isn’t trying to interfere_. Suki agrees that both of them are _nearly_ there.

* * *

A few days later, Aang sends them a screenshot of a text from Zuko.

Katara waits for Aang’s reply. After a while, she starts to wonder if they discussed it over the phone. It’s more Aang’s style than Zuko, but would better justify the amount of time it was taking for him to get back to them.

Eventually, Aang texts with copied and pasted messages from his texts with Zuko.

Katara finds herself struck by that text, a true confirmation that Zuko and Sokka, had _not,_ in fact, discussed being anything more than friends.

Katara sighs. Poor Aang– she’ll have to call him later. It couldn’t have been easy to hold so much back.

Then again, there’s no doubt in her mind that _eventually_ these two will figure it out. She’s just not willing to risk $340 on it.

Well, $300 if Sokka is the one that figures it out first.

$285 if she subtracts her buy-in.

Katara calls Aang later. He tells her that Zuko decided to wait until the weekend to ask Sokka.

By then, Haru and Jin will be out.

* * *

It’s the weekend, and Katara probably should have let Sokka know that she’d be home this evening, after Yue had to cancel their weekly cannoli date.

And yet, thanks to her deceit, he seems to think nothing of inviting Zuko in when he comes to the door. 

“Come on in! Just us tonight.” he chirps. Katara can’t help but shuffle over to the top of the stairs, where she can clearly hear Sokka ask. “Everything okay?”

Zuko takes a shaky breath. “I want to ask you something.”

Katara’s heart is racing; either Sokka is denser than she thought or he simply is doing his best to appear calm. Either way, his voice doesn’t waver, nor belay even the slightest tremor of stress when he says. “Shoot.”

“You know how Lu Ten is getting married in October?” Silence, presumably a nod. “Okay, well, I just found that I’m getting a plus one, and I… was kinda hoping– the 10th, by the way. Would you come– with me?”

Zuko’s voice cracks on the final request, and Katara’s heart goes out to him. That he could really, truly, be _that_ oblivious of the torch her brother carries for him.

They’ve learned a lot about Zuko over the years, in cautious, measured doses, but this tender, vulnerable moment where she fears Zuko is holding back tears… she’s begging for Sokka to put him out of his misery.

“Oh, dope!” Sokka cries.

 _Damnit, Sokka_.

“Of course, I’ll go with you– we’ll have a blast, we can run the Wang Fire bit and really–”

“No,” Zuko cuts him off, his voice curt, but carrying all the strength of the pep talk that he likely gave himself on the way over.

Katara can’t help it. With how huge this moment is between them, how charged– she’s pretty sure they won’t even notice her creep to the bottom of the stairs.

She sees Sokka and Zuko facing each other on the couch, Zuko has a hold of both of Sokka’s hands.

He’s brave, Katara remembers. Always has been.

Zuko takes a deep breath. “Come _with_ me,” he insists. “As my date.”

“Oh,” Sokka says quietly.

Zuko holds his gaze, even as his resolute posture wilts.

Then, Sokka perks up again. “ _Definitely_ ,” he affirms, re-capturing Zuko’s retreating hands. She can see Zuko tentatively smile, but the sting of the perceived rejection still lingers, guarding him. “I mean it Zuko, I’d _love_ to.”

Zuko blinks furiously. “Yeah?” He asks softly.

“Yes. Absolutely– gosh, Zuko _thank you_ ,” he laughs. “We’re gonna have _so much_ fun, together! We can sit next to each other, hold hands, _dance!_ Gosh, we’re gonna _tear up_ that dance floor!” Sokka promises.

Zuko laughs, a relieved tear finally slipping free. “You’re going to embarrass me in front of my whole family, aren’t you?”

“Totally.”

“I can drive,” Zuko says, smiling. “We’ll get tacos on the way up to the inn; we can fight over who gets to control the aux cord–”

“I _clearly_ have better taste in music.”

“It’s _my_ car, asswipe. I pick the music,” he squeezes Sokka’s hands in warning, but the grip immediately slackens. Zuko’s voice dips softer, a tender smile on his face. “I’ll rent a movie, we can stay up all night in bad snacking and laughing and talking until one of us–”

“Me.”

“ _You,_ ” he agrees. “Fall asleep on top of the covers.”

Sokka swallows, no doubt feeling the intensity of the moment. “You know the hotel is gonna charge up the wazoo to rent the movie right?”

Zuko’s smile widens. “I don’t mind.”

“Well,” Sokka squeaks. “Driving around, dinner, movies, late night chats– if that’s all it takes to date you, then I think we’ve already got a good amount of practice under our belts. We’ve been doing that stuff together for months!”

Zuko’s eyes widen, and Sokka sounds like the wind’s been knocked out of him. 

Sokka finds his voice first. “ _Wait_ –”

Katara gasps. For a moment, she worries that the two of them heard her, and that she ruined this moment.

Obviously, she knows it’s not just about the time they spend together. It’s how they chose each other; show up for one another. 

And as annoying as it was to see them dancing around each other the last few weeks, it was even worse _hearing_ about Zuko constantly during the rare moments they weren’t together. 

She fumbles for her phone, ensures that the flash and sound are off before covertly raising it to point at them.

Sure enough, after a moment, they lean into each other, hands still clasped against where their knees touch on the couch. Their eyes close as their lips _finally_ touch, after nearly a month and a half of oblivious yet undeniable chemistry sizzling between them. She lowers her phone a moment later, not wanting to ick-up her storage capturing the “romance movie” moment where it all bubbles over, consuming them in passion.

Oddly enough, that moment doesn’t come.

The kiss remains soft, tentative, sweet– their shoulders sag in unison, as if breathing each other in. Truly syncing after what, frankly, could have been a _year_ of mutual pining.

Her heart goes out to them, these idiots _finally_ figured it out. 

When they part, Sokka squeezes his hands. “Well, guess we still have _some_ things to practice–”

“Idiot,” Zuko chides, knocking his knee against his.

“Fuck, man,” Sokka sighs. “We _both_ are. I’ve been wanting to do that for _months_.”

Zuko snorts. “In a tent under the stars didn’t feel like the right moment?”

“Hey!” Sokka cries. “You didn’t kiss _me_ either!”

“Touché,” he concedes. “I… wasn’t sure you wanted to.”

“Well, ya do now, so what are you waiting for?”

Zuko smiles, then leans in again. Thankfully for Katara’s stomach – she really ought to just walk away before it gets any worse– the kiss, while more confident and self-assured than their first, is still gentle, warm, and PG.

This time, Sokka breaks the kiss when he bursts out into laughter.

Zuko frowns. “What?”

“Was anyone going to _tell_ us we were basically dating, or were we supposed to just figure that out by ourselves?”

Zuko snorts, then joins in his laughter.

It’s as good a time as any for Katara to ruin it.

“Took you long enough,” she calls from the stairs.

Sokka whips around to gape at her. “Katara!” he shrieks.

“Hey, I’m mad at you, too, you know!” Katara says, crossing her arms. “You spend months mooning over each other, completely oblivious, and then you can’t even wait _two more days_ so I can win the pot??”

This makes Sokka still. “Wait,” he says slowly. “Were you guys betting on us??”

Zuko frowns. “Is this what all those weird, secretive text messages were about?”

Katara nods. “You two are impossible,” she sighs. “I’m happy for you, _yeah_ , but also… kinda wanna kick your teeth in at the moment.”

“Why, who won?” Zuko asks.

“Jet.”

“You’re _fucking_ kidding me!” Sokka roars. “Lie. Lie your _ass_ off, we’ll re-do this in two days.”

Katara waves them off. “Aang knows Zuko was coming over today,” she explains. “Besides, I can’t exactly change the time stamp on this picture.”

She shows it to them, fully expecting Sokka to lose his mind again, but he’s weirdly giddy that their first kiss was caught on camera.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> 💕 Thanks for reading!! Comments and Kudos appreciated 💕
> 
> Against all odds, they figured it out!! Worst kept secret _ever_ amirite?


End file.
